Victor Mine Ice Road Hit by Protests

(IDEX Online News) – The ice road leading to De Beers' Victor mine in Canada has been the focus of protests over trap lines? in recent days. About 12 residents of Attawapiskat in northern Ontario blockaded the ice road, sending several empty fuel trucks back to the diamond mine.

De Beers relies on the ice road to transport, fuel, equipment and other goods that  are too heavy to fly into the mine.

Protester John Edwards told APTN National News that the protests were being conducted, in part, over the mining company's failure to compensate his family for the impact of the mine on his family's trap lines.

“They never gave…anything to date for trespassing on the trap line,” said Edwards.

He also told APTN that it was time for De Beers to compensate Attawapiskat residents for the wealth the mine generates.

“This is traditional territory for us. We use the rivers as highways, we travel on them to hunt, to get access to other rivers,” Edwards told APTN.

This was the second blockade to hit the mining company. De Beers has come to an agreement with another group of residents who demanded that their impact benefit agreement with the miner be reopened.

APTN reported that Bruce Shisheesh, the spokesperson for the first group, said he understood that the agreement has been reopened. In a statement issued by De Beers following the end of last week’s blockade, the mining company made no mention of reopening the agreement.